The Phoenix Ascending
by Ithileon
Summary: While SG-1 investigates Smallville, Eve befriends an amnesiac Kara. Krypton and Celestis collide in a war of ideals, Lana must come to terms with being related to an alien and Chloe discovers Stargate Command. Turns out Earth isn't as alone as they thought . . .
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings and welcome to The Phoenix Ascending, part 3 of the Phoenix Trilogy. As this picks up immediately where part 2 left off, reading Death of the Phoenix and The Phoenix Reborn is necessary to understand where this came from.**

Eve's refusal to set foot on another ship bar hers clashed with Landry's refusal to authorize a road trip. They compromised on air travel. SG-1 would be flown to McConnell Air Force Base and drive a few hours from there.

The night before the team departed for Smallville, Daniel sat on the couch and watched his daughter. A fair-skinned, blue-eyed, near-double of Adria at the same age, Eve's appearance a year ago had been the cause of much concern. Conceived during Daniel's days as a Prior, Eve was born three quarters Ori and possessed the powers to match. She was the last of the Ori, a beacon of hope for the followers of Origin and their war torn galaxy.

Feeling she would be safer on Earth, Daniel brought her back with him.

Her hybrid status guaranteed immunity to most diseases, but if she ever did succumb to a Tau'ri illness, Dr. Lam wasn't sure what treatments, if any, to administer. It was hard enough giving her a regular medical exam.

The powers came at unpredictable times. Eve arrived on Earth with active telepathy. Telekinesis kicked in at the physical age of four, followed by a small growth spurt. Pyrokinesis developed at physical eight, and then she awoke the next morning on the cusp of puberty. _Something_ happened on Atlantis that aged her to sixteen, but there were no signs of a new power emerging; just a Wraith that tried to feed on her and walked away from the encounter with badly burned hands. That Eve had no memory of what happened honestly frightened Daniel.

Fast forward to the present day, and the mission beginning tomorrow. The overwhelming majority of Stargate personnel were humans and Smallville was in their backyard. There was no need for large weapons, no need for an exclusively offworld language. _Any_ team was qualified to be sent to the small Midwestern town that had become a nexus of otherworldly activities. So why SG-1? The answer was simple and incredibly obvious: because Eve would have to come with them.

In summary, SG-1 was stuck with Adria's daughter, in an airplane, a vehicle and a motel room, for two weeks. Vala's sarcastic "Lovely!" spoke for them all.

Eve proved adept at thinking ahead, lining up pet sitters and books to read and otherwise staying out of the way.

* * *

A faint stirring in the back of her mind caught her attention. Eve glanced down at the sapphire pendant around her neck. The pendant's most recent owner was a Tau'ri ancestress, a Scot by the name of Aoife. She was a skilled witch, defying death and her own father by partially ascending and hiding within the jewel. It had taken several broken power crystals to revive her mind but she remained in a dormant state, aware of the world around her but unresponsive to it. In some of her more lucid moments she was able to convey she needed more energy to awaken entirely, but a steady amount would be preferable to a sudden influx. Eve smiled, brushing against Aoife's mind.

The witch returned her touch in kind, immediately going dormant once more.

* * *

Vala had waited until morning to pack, delaying them by an hour. The plane took off at ten and Eve immersed herself in Middle Earth.

Aoife's mind brushed against hers, an inquiry presenting itself in Eve's mind. Having no idea how fifteenth century Scots measured distance, she explained they would reach their destination sometime around sunset. This was not what the witch wanted to hear, but she lacked the energy to get angry.

Of the trip itself there was little to report; they landed an hour or so later, grabbed a bite to eat, and arrived in Metropolis around six. Eve ate nothing and went to bed early.

"Maybe I should call Carolyn."

"She's probably carsick Daniel," Sam replied, "She'll be fine in the morning."

* * *

A startled "YIPE!" from across the hall woke the male half of SG-1, and Daniel led the charge to see what had happened.

Sam had tried to awaken Eve, whose response was to throw her onto Vala. Vala's curse had turned into a wheeze at the sudden weight and one of Sam's hands smacked her in the temple. The two fell off the bed in a tangle of covers, which would have been funny if Eve hadn't chosen that moment to poke her head out from beneath the blanket.

The feeling of something being wrong intensified; this was not the face of his sixteen-year-old girl.

"Good morning to you too hideous." She growled, clearing her throat and raising a delicate eyebrow, "Now what the hell are you doing in here?"

"Samantha did it!" Vala piped up right away.

Blue eyes fixed on the voice's origin and narrowed. A hand rose beneath the blanket, thumb and forefinger pinched together. Sam was lifted from the floor by the back of her shirt and dropped on the bed.

Eve curled her index finger and Vala landed next to Sam. Both looked surprised at the face that greeted them. Eve looked twenty, maybe twenty-one, and a far cry from Adria at the same age. She didn't look like Daniel either, and the archeologist became confused when he realized who she _did_ look like. She was a dead ringer for Lady Máire McCorrigan, whose portrait hung in St. Mary's Church in Haddington, East Lothian. The only difference was the eye color. Máire's were green. They had the same oval face, almond eyes, straight edged nose, and mostly straight dark hair.

How did Eve suddenly resemble a distant ancestor more than her own parents?

Eve's expression currently featured a wide smirk as she gleefully informed them, "I need a new wardrobe. Again."

"Nothing fits anymore?" Sam asked, sounded exasperated.

Eve shook her head.

* * *

"Are you serious?" Cam asked, "Again?"

"Again," Sam replied.

"Was there a trigger of some kind? A new power maybe?" Daniel inquired in a quiet voice.

"None that I could see. She did look pale last night, but I thought maybe she was still carsick. She's slimmer than Vala, so I let her borrow a belt."

"Unbelievable." Cam muttered, "Tell me this is the last time."

"Adria was in her mid-twenties when she started aging normally. Eve's in the same decade, so this should be it. It's fortunate that we're on Earth this time, instead of Pegasus or the Ori galaxy."

"Small favors."

"Indeed."

Vala had the grace to knock before walking in, announcing, "She's ready."

* * *

Three hours later the team arrived in Smallville, Eve with a low-maintenance wardrobe and yet more books.

A nervous glance in the rearview mirror revealed his daughter already halfway through one of her _Warriors_ books. Fear, self-hatred and resignation hit him like a train wreck and he was grateful Sam was driving.

Eve was fully grown. He had hoped for more time, time to actually raise her, influence her, soften her opinion on the Tau'ri. Now he was out of time and the rest of the team knew it. Once this mission was over they'd have to decide what to do about Eve.

_I believe the choice is mine._

Daniel flinched. How was he supposed to focus on the mission with _this_ hanging over his head?

_How did you focus during other crises? The Goa'uld? The Replicators? Whatever sustained you then, call it forth now._

So Daniel closed his eyes and tried to breathe evenly. Eve glanced up to confirm he was asleep before speeding through the rest of the book. Shutting it with a sort of finality, she was amused by Daniel's jolt back to the land of the living.

"Not funny."

"Yes it was."

Aoife twitched, sensing the remnants of a ritual. Eve assured her it was on her to-do list.

* * *

Eve's first stop was the library to fill in the missing branches on her family tree. Having traced Melburn's line back to the Clan McCorrigan, she now turned to Claire's. Claire's father Nicholas held little interest for Eve. She knew he was from the Netherlands, she knew he was an archeologist, and she knew he placed his career over his grandchild. He was on some distant planet communicating with giant aliens, or so that particular report read. No what interested her was Claire's mother Edith.

Born in Smallville, Edith McCallum skipped town at eighteen and dropped off the face of the earth. She never contacted her brother Dexter or sister Miriam again. The trio's surname suggested Celtic ancestry, and Eve was able to track the name back to Scotland. It was here she encountered new information. In 1605, Thomas McCallum married a woman named Pernelle. Pernelle's father Alain had fled France twenty years prior, settling in England and marrying an Englishwoman. Alain's mother was the only child of Countess Thoreaux, whose execution was ordered by a Duchess. The memories she had inherited from Isobel leaned heavily in the direction of payback.

Great Aunt Miriam remained in Smallville, eventually settling down with Arthur Potter. They had two daughters, Laura and Eleanor. Laura was the only Potter sibling to have children, and the child in question still lived here. According to numerous newspaper entries and an article in Time magazine, Lana Lang had been orphaned by the 1989 meteor shower and was raised by Eleanor.

So she did have living kin here. How should she respond to this?

In the end she decided to leave the issue alone unless she met the women. That decided, she left the library, grabbed two books and headed for the park. Three glorious hours later, she had almost completed the second when the sound of an argument reached her ears.

Skimming the same page to give the illusion of reading, she cocked her head to hear it better.

"We're just trying to protect you Kara-"

"From who? Lex? Lex has been more helpful than either of you Clark! What's so horrible about my past that nobody wants to tell me about it?" When Clark didn't answer, Kara said, "You're just like her. Won't tell me anything."

"Kara if you would just trust me-"

"But how am I supposed to trust you? You're lying to me!"

Eve shut the book and gave the argument her full attention. Kara was the blonde, her hair wavy and falling past her shoulders. Her blue eyes were narrowed in anger, but Eve sensed the beginnings of defeat. By contrast, the dark-haired Clark's posture was one of attempted reassurance, as if trying to soothe a skittish animal. His expression conveyed both pity and the beginnings of frustration. Clearly this was a subject they'd gone over multiple times, neither willing to concede ground to the other. They also had a lot of energy flowing through them. Kara's was slightly dimmer, as if held back.

Aoife tensed, feeling Clark was a threat and utter fury that she couldn't do anything about it. Eve calmly observed the pair's approach. Spotting her, Kara started for the bench.

"Kara don't bother her. She's reading."

Kara ignored him, sitting next to Eve and asking, "If you lost your memory what would you do?"

Mind moving like a wildfire, Eve quickly invented two scenarios. The first was that she wouldn't know she had amnesia at all, instead forging an identity from the conglomerate of memories she had. The second was less likely but would bother this Clark person.

"I would assume all parties are lying to me unless or until I had evidence to the contrary."

Clark's wince and Kara's look of triumph told Eve she'd said the right thing.

"I'm sorry if Kara bothered you Miss. Come on, let's go home."

Kara crossed her arms and huffed, "I'm not going!"

"Kara-"

"No!"

"You didn't hear any of that, did you?" Eve inquired, sliding the book into its bag and raising an eyebrow.

"Sure I did." Clark replied, but Eve cut him off, "I don't mean your ears detected sound, I mean your brain took in our words and the meaning behind them."

"I uh, I did get the meaning behind them. It's just that my cousin's ill and, I need to get her home."

"Bullshit." Eve replied, ignoring Kara's gasp, "Amnesia isn't crippling, she's not sick, she's not hurt, she's not an invalid, nor is she a child. Moreover she seems angry with you, and most people would give an angry person space and time to calm down before addressing the issue again. You seem more interested in treating her like a child throwing a tantrum than a rational adult, or so it seems to me . . ." she trailed off and glanced at Kara, who nodded rapidly.

"How long have you had amnesia?"

"A little over two months."

Eve nodded, "And Clark's treated you like glass ever since?"

"Pretty much yeah."

"Kara-"

"Go away Clark the grown-ups are talking." Eve cut him off. Her sudden rudeness surprised him, but he brushed it off quickly. She could see the indecision in his eyes. He knew how angry Kara was right now, but either he was convinced he was in the right or he didn't care, because he reached for Kara's arm anyway.

"We're going home now Kara," he began, "You can take a walk there and cool down."

Speed born of instinct gripped Eve and with a sharp, "The hell you are!" she seized his wrist and let her inner fire surge close to the surface. He didn't seem to feel her grip, but he did feel the heat.

"That. Is. Enough." Eve said coldly. "She doesn't want to go with you Clark, so leave her be."

"Look Miss, if you could just-"

"I said _be gone_!" Eve timed her words with Clark's rough yank, releasing him in time to watch him fall to the ground. She could see a handprint shaped burn on his wrist, cradled close to his body and already scarring over. That shouldn't be possible; if he had the accelerated healing of the Alteran DNA, why couldn't she read his mind?

Glaring at him, she silently challenged the young man to get up and try again. He didn't. Instead he stood up, wincing at the pain in his wrist, and tried once more to get Kara to come with him. She crossed her arms and turned away in a huff, eyes closed and nose in the air.

"Don't leave the park okay? I'll be back later to pick you up."

Kara remained silent. Her attempt at aloofness was adorable. Clark sighed and took his sweet time walking away.

"Bastard." Eve muttered before continuing audibly, "That was more fun than it had any right to be."

Kara smiled, "Thank you for sticking up for me."

"You're welcome. Are you okay?"

Her face fell, "No. I'm living with my cousin Clark and his girlfriend, but they're lying to me."

Eve raised both eyebrows as if surprised, "Do you have proof?"

"They won't tell me more about who I am. Then they tell me not to trust Lex and all he's done is help me."

_I'm going to need more than that._ Eve thought, and twenty minutes of gentle prodding later she got the full story. Kara woke up on a Detroit street with no memory. A waitress working at a small diner took pity on her, giving her a job and a place to sleep at night. A bald man who always wore nice clothing became a regular, introducing himself as Lex Luthor and offering to help her with her amnesia. One of the bus boys, a guy named Finley, went berserk at Lex's presence and tried to kidnap her. Something stopped him and he was arrested. Kara was brought back to Smallville, specifically the Kent's house.

Again her mind processed this at rapid speed, identifying a handful of problems that stemmed from Kara's amnesia. Amnesia meant freedom from expectations but left one vulnerable to potential enemies.

LuthorCorp's origins were rooted in agriculture, but recently had shifted into

biotechnology, defense contracting, and gods only knew what else. Lex's offer to help ran perpendicular to his often ruthless behavior in the business world; it was made even more unusual in that he seemed to have singled out Kara for reasons unknown.

The refusal on Clark's part to tell Kara the truth could be caused by anything from spite to a misguided belief that his silence was protecting Kara. That seemed the more likely of the two, as Clark continued to ask Kara to trust him without proving himself worthy of that trust. His attempt at protecting her was driving her into the arms of Lex Luthor, who was just enough of a chess master to take advantage of it.

"Would you like my perspective?"

The blonde glanced at her in confusion, "I guess so."

"I asked because I don't know you or anyone you're talking about personally, so my thoughts are free of influence."

A myriad of emotions flitted across Kara's face before finally settling on confusion, "Okay."

"The major players then are Lex Luthor and Clark correct?"

"And Clark's girlfriend Lana."

Oh _hell_ no. Her cousin had gone from a one person pity party to a compulsive liar? Why were all her human relatives so _stupid_?

Eve considered the best angle of attack. As Lex befriended and offered to help her, Kara was biased in his favor. Bashing Lex would only drive her away. But perhaps hearing something similar from a neutral party would be enough to convince Kara.

_The inconsistencies then._

"Lex is the head of successful business empire isn't he?"

Kara nodded.

"Running such a large corporation takes a lot of time and effort. It seems odd that he would suddenly leave that behind and go to Detroit, unless he was there on LuthorCorp business. Was there a convention of some sort going on?"

The blonde blinked and thought back, "I don't know."

"So he didn't have a reason to be there?"

"He said he liked the pie," Kara offered weakly.

"Most people don't hang around diners for the food alone."

Thankfully Kara was just innocent enough not to get the implications, "Well he offered to help me."

"You mentioned that. Why exactly, would he offer to help you?"

"Because he's a humanitarian."

Eve blinked, "I'm listening."

Kara brightened immediately, "He's built hospitals and funds scholarships and he helps a lot of people!"

Eve was unmoved, "Did you ever wonder why he did that? Have you researched his business? The things he's done to further the interests of his business?"

Kara's expression said she hadn't, that it hadn't even crossed her mind.

"You say he's built hospitals, and he has, but he merely supplies the money to see them built, stocked and staffed. Once a hospital is ready to admit patients, he steps back and never sees any of them. You say he funds scholarships, and he does, but he merely sets up a fund to be refilled and hands the responsibility of choosing the winners over to somebody else. He never sees the students his money is sending to college. I ask again, why you? What made you so different that Lex came to you personally, cultivated a relationship with you, and then offered his help?"

Kara opened her mouth to reply before closing it again, puzzled. Eventually she replied, "I don't know."

"If Lex knew you from before your amnesia, why didn't he tell you who you were? Better yet, why didn't he contact this cousin of yours?"

"I, I don't know."

"Do you know why most people do that? Single out the vulnerable, shower them with attention, affection, maybe gifts? First, because no one will notice you've disappeared. Second, because they want something from you. When they have no more use for you, you'll be discarded."

"Lex would never do that to me." Kara insisted, though she sounded unsure.

"How do you know?"

This time she didn't reply, but gave Eve the classic kicked puppy look.

"Don't cry."

"You sound just like Clark."

"Clark never told you _why_ you couldn't trust Lex."

Kara sniffed.

"Speaking of Clark, let's talk about him."

Kara cheered up. Her anger toward her cousin and cousin's girlfriend meant she'd be more willing to hear Eve out, especially if she attacked the issue head-on.

"Neither of them are big Lex fans, neither will say why. Did you ask?"

"I did, but Clark still wouldn't tell me. Just said I had to trust him."

"Which led to your loud and justifiable outburst. Can Clark offer proof of kinship? Why wasn't he looking for you when you were in Detroit? What does Lex say about Clark?"

"Lex said he grew up."

"It sounds like Lex is using you to get to Clark." Before Kara could voice her opinion on that statement Eve continued, "Here are a few things I would suggest. Ask Lex why he's so focused on helping you, and try to analyze his response. Then I would confront Clark. Ask for proof of kinship, ask why he didn't look for you when you disappeared, ask again why he doesn't trust Lex. Try not to lash out or jump down his throat, even if he deserves it."

"Why shouldn't I lash out?"

"Because if he really is keeping something from you and you do lash out, you confirm all his reasons for keeping the secret in the first place."

"Okay. What did you say your name was?"

Eve smirked at her, "I didn't."

Kara asked anyway, "What's your name?"

"Eve."

"Nice to meet you."

* * *

_I have changed._

This in itself was not profound, given her rapid aging and everything connected to it. She walked to the motel window and stared unseeingly outside.

Her rage toward the Tau'ri, SG-1 and Daniel in particular, had faded to burning resentment. The feeling had once been a mere thought away and as familiar as her own shadow, following her and whispering darkly in her ear, encouraging her to lash out, to spill blood, to kill, avenge her mother, her grandfather, and the rest of the Ori.

She was still angry at Daniel for his role in Mama's death, would probably carry that anger to her grave, but she no longer gave thought to killing him. Much.

So what had happened? After being so angry for so long, to suddenly lose it was unsettling. As she understood it, people did not change so abruptly overnight. Mama had started out semi reasonable and become more extreme as she aged. The reverse was also possible, but both required a span of years to implement. A person didn't just _wake up_ and drop their prejudices.

Of course most people didn't go to bed sixteen and wake up twenty either. Perhaps it was a quirk of her DNA? Or were other forces at work?

A glance at her pendant, glittering despite being shrouded in darkness, revealed nothing. Aoife was dormant.

_So I have changed. My sire is right; the time has come to decide my future. Do I abandon my children to their fate, or rule over them as the sovereign they need?_

The decision was a difficult one. Abandoning them would be easy, but where would she go? The crusade had made her a galaxy's worth of enemies. Finding a safe planet was almost impossible given the Stargate and ships with faster-than-light travel.

Conversely, the Ori's empire now consisted of one galaxy and a third of another, leaving countless people at war with their neighbors. How much damage had the Priors done in her absence? How much deeper did the schism run due to their efforts? Without uncorrupted leadership they would destroy each other.

Her grip on the curtains tightened. The Ori's empire _needed_ a leader. As the sole living Ori, it fell to her to take up her mother's mantle, to lead them out of their darkness and into her light.

That said, telling them the Ori weren't gods was impossible. They believed she herself was a goddess, and telling them their goddess wasn't a goddess created a paradox.

Then there was Kara.

Normally Eve stayed far away from human conflict. Their petty squabbles meant nothing to her, so why should she get involved? Such had been the pattern until Kara's vocal argument with Clark drew close enough for her to hear. Interacting with arguing humans was completely out of character for her, and the Orici was fully aware of this.

She had already decided such a drastic change was impossible, yet she'd had a civil conversation with another living being and nothing had been destroyed.

Her eyes narrowed as a possible solution occurred. All the humans she knew were decades older than she was, therefore few could imagine themselves in her place. Kara wasn't an adult. She was a peer. Eve hadn't met anyone her age since she was a toddler in Celestis. Kara could understand some of Eve's problems better than others could. And she was isolated from others.

Eve smirked. She could play chess too.

* * *

SG-1 had canvassed the town and asked people the same questions. Without fail, they came back with information they already knew.

"It seems like most the meteor mutants-" Sam began, only for Eve to cut her off, "Metahuman."

"Ooh I like that!"

"Vala!"

"Metahuman then. It seems like the metahumans were children or teenagers when the showers hit."

"Okay, why is that important?"

"The body finishes growing around the age of twenty and the brain isn't far behind. Present company excluded," she added with a glance back at Eve. The brunette didn't acknowledge her.

"My guess is the agent in the meteor rock that's responsible for the resulting mutations has a greater effect on those who haven't fully matured, with the actual mutation taking a few years to manifest. There's also a secondary effect that warps their minds. They either lose the ability to judge right from wrong or break with reality. A lot of them end up at Belle Reve."

"Should we pay it a visit?"

"Placing it under your direct control would serve you better." Was Eve's recommendation. "Their staff are corrupt, they abuse their power, and their patients don't get many visitors."

"Are you trying to help? I really can't tell."

"Let it go Mitchell."

"What, exactly, are you suggesting Eve?" Sam inquired, turning to face the young woman.

Eve was silent for a minute, organizing her thoughts. Then she spoke, "Metahumans don't have to be a threat, but some are too far gone. Keeping them imprisoned does nothing for them but provide an opportunity to escape and do more damage. Analyzing their DNA might provide the basis for understanding what causes mutations. It would be easier to seize the prison and modify it than say, try and come up with a plausible gene therapy to 'cure' them."

"Eve-" Daniel began, only for Sam to cut him off, "No Daniel she's right. We're years from understanding DNA enough to reverse diseases we already have trouble with. Not to mention the ethical implications of trying to alter a person's genetic code."

Vala glanced at Eve.

"I did find this website for the Isis Foundation. It's a charity meant to help metahumans."

Daniel got up to read the screen, "Says they do anything from emotional support to placement in foster homes."

"It is a difficult task. The one who created this foundation must accept every metahuman that comes to them for aid, no matter what past wrongs they committed."

"Doesn't sound doable."

"Especially since a lot of these metahumans are probably afraid of the public reaction." Cam replied.

"A government that cannot protect its own-"

"Thank you Eve. We're aware of our shortcomings." Daniel cut her off.

"What're we thinking for tomorrow?"

"I'll call Landry and see what we can do about the prison. Daniel and Vala can check out Isis. Eve can, do whatever she's been doing since we got here I guess."

Eve held up the fourth _Warriors_ book and proceeded to ignore them.

* * *

She finished the _Warriors_ arc within the second day, glancing up when Daniel asked, "Have you been outside at all today?"

"Says the pale as death archeologist?"

"Touché."

"You've got some color darling," Vala butted in, shouldering past Daniel with a grin. "Pity you didn't take more after me."

"Thank god." Daniel muttered.

Eve said nothing, merely closed the final book. Six books in two days was a record, and without anything else to read, or Kara to talk to, Eve had nothing to do. Aoife brushed insistently against her mind, the ritual featuring strongly. Eve ignored her.

"I'm going to the park."

"Be back by dinner." Daniel said, only to be overridden by Vala's, "Be back before midnight!"

"Midnight?"

"She's an adult Daniel, she can take care of herself. I don't pity whoever tries to hurt her."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

Kara sat next to Eve and sighed heavily. There was an aura of frustration and sadness about her.

"How'd it go?"

"Badly. I tried talking to Lex like you suggested, he told me that secrets destroyed the friendship he had with Clark. He doesn't want secrets to ruin our friendship."

Eve made a noncommittal sound in her throat before speaking, "Still sounds like he's using you to get to Clark."

"Would it kill you not to be so hard on him?"

Eve raised an eyebrow, "No, but I doubt his ability to keep work and personal life separate. A manipulative person in the boardroom is likely the same in the bedroom if you know what I mean."

She knew that wasn't always the case but Lex's track record actively worked against him. Kara didn't appear to understand.

"One day he'll have to answer for what he has done, and his money and power won't protect him."

This seemed to appease the blonde for the time being.

"I don't have dental or medical records, all Lex found was a birth certificate."

That _was_ cause for concern.

"What about school?"

Kara showed her a few things Lex had also found, including a page from a yearbook.

"Modeling?"

"It just doesn't feel, right, you know?"

Eve gave her a noticeable once-over, "You've got the body for it."

Kara blushed, "Thank you. Have you ever been sick?"

Eve thought back. Her hybrid blood almost guaranteed her immunity from all but the strongest diseases. The only time she'd ever been sick was during infancy, when her digestive system was young and she frequently spit up.

"Not for a while."

"How long?"

"Little more than a year."

"What kind of person _never_ gets sick?"

"An extremely sheltered person with no social life." Eve replied, pulling the Archive from the bag and searching for the documents herself. As expected, only the birth certificate appeared.

"This doesn't make any sense."

"That's what I said."

"Someone else created this. It's just good enough to pass casual inspection but not good enough to stand up to heavy scrutiny."

"What does that mean?"

"Either someone is trying to erase you from the system, or you were never in the system to begin with."

Kara stared at her in disbelief, "How does that happen?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe Lex can help."

"Lex would only use this as a way to make you beholden to him. He and his father are only capable of doing the right thing if it benefits them."

Kara said nothing for a long time, and Eve decided she was thinking about what she'd been told. She was not expecting to see the blonde hide her face in her hands, her shoulders start shaking, and hear crying.

Eve had long accepted her inability to comfort crying people, but really, what was she supposed to say? She couldn't tell Kara it would be alright, because it might not be. She couldn't really say she'd stick around, because SG-1 only had twelve days left before deciding their next course of action. So she said nothing at all, awkwardly rubbing Kara's back while the blonde cried on her shoulder.

She felt a rush of emotion, a protective, almost affectionate feeling. Lex was a bastard in both senses of the word, Clark had buried his head in the sand, and the less said about Lana the better. No one had Kara's best interests at heart.

_I'm already involved. Kara seems to trust me and I have advantages others don't. _Eve glanced at the Archive and made a decision. She wasn't leaving until Kara got her memory back.

"I can help you Kara. I can create the missing records, I can find information that's kept well hidden. Maybe I can help you get your memories back."

Kara looked up, "Really?"

"I'll try my best."

* * *

"618 3rd St." Vala read from the MapQuest sheet, "We're here. Hey, what was bothering Eve last night? She started glaring at Sam like she'd said something insulting."

"I guess it was something Sam was thinking."

"Thought you'd told her to stop that."

"Thought about it."

"That's not funny Daniel."

"Vala, by the time Eve met me her powers were already active and she was consciously using them. I couldn't tell her to stop and I seriously doubt she knows how. Dr. Lam said it's as natural for her as breathing."

"So blink, breathe, read people's minds?"

"Telepathy." A young woman corrected her.

"What?"

"The correct term for mind reading is called telepathy." The same woman replied, tucking a strand of brunette hair behind her ear, "Welcome to the Isis Foundation."

"Thank you." Vala said brightly.

The woman seemed surprised by the thief's exuberance, "You're welcome. My name is Lana Lang, founder and owner of Isis. Our main mission is to provide emotional support to the meteor infected, help them to adjust to their powers and lead a normal life. Is one of you telepathic?"

"Not us." Vala replied, waving her hand back and forth between herself and Daniel.

"Do you know a telepath?"

Lana watched the pair exchange a nervous look, as if unsure they should answer.

Vala's reply of yes wasn't able to cover Daniel's no, and after exchanging a few more facial expressions Daniel's shoulders slumped and he asked, "Is there a private place we can talk?"

Lana nodded and led them to her office.

"The telepath is my daughter. I didn't know about her until her mother died and I got a call from the state. She was three years old."

"How old is she now?"

"Twenty."

Lana ran the math in her head. The telepath would have been a toddler the year of the first meteor shower.

"When did her powers manifest?"

Another nervous glance. The woman ignored the man's stern look and shake of his head. He grimaced when the woman turned to Lana and said, "They were, already active."

The pen scratching paused. Already active? Most meteor infected didn't display active powers until adolescence.

"She had active telepathy at the age of three?"

"Yes."

"So she's been using this power for seventeen years?"

"Give or take a few months, but yes."

"Has she ever displayed signs of violence? Hatred, undirected aggression, physically lashing out?"

The nervous glance made a third appearance and Lana narrowed her eyes. Either the pair had been cruel to the telepath or they'd become used to concealing their powers. A third, more uncomfortable option, was that the telepath had become controlling and was monitoring the pair from a distance.

As for Daniel and Vala, they both knew the answer to that question was a resounding yes. Eve had inherited Adria's temper and was not shy about using her powers against others. Physical violence was rare, usually a last resort.

Daniel appeared lost in his own little world, so Vala began speaking, "She hated him, hated us all. I don't know if her bias against him was because of her mother or something she came to on her own, but she didn't like Daniel, didn't trust him. She never trusted him . . ."

When Daniel said nothing she continued, "She was so angry when he first brought her back. Blamed Daniel for her mother's death. Distanced herself from everyone. Eve carried that grudge with her for years. Never used it as a weapon, not that I know of-"

"Only when she was furious," Daniel cut in, "Otherwise she glared at me from across the room and listed what she felt were my moral failings."

It was as if a dam had broken in the woman, and Lana was subjected to twenty minutes of nonstop talking: Vala's anger with Daniel for sleeping with a younger and more attractive woman, her resentment of Eve, both for being born and for bearing a strong resemblance to her mother, Eve's detection of the aforementioned resentment, and her pointed and often blunt responses towards Vala.

Then Daniel put in his two cents: he admitted he probably wasn't the best person to raise a telepath, he didn't know how her powers worked, nor would she listen when he tried to tell her scanning people's thoughts was wrong. He said outright that there was no love in their relationship but he did care about her. His sentiments were not returned.

Lana listened and occasionally made a note on the legal pad. The overall picture being painted was one of a woman who needed serious counselling, a man who had tried his best to raise a meteor-infected person, and a telepath who harbored resentment toward everyone.

"Is it possible your daughter's powers were triggered by her mother's death?"

Daniel looked at Vala, whose expression was one of panic. Eve's telepathy was active before the Odyssey returned to Earth, but he wasn't sure _when_ it had activated.

"I'm not sure."

Lana scribbled something down before speaking again, "As your daughter is an adult herself, she's probably getting ready to move out and move on. But maybe I can help her anyway. Here's my card. Have her call and make an appointment, maybe she'll listen to someone who understands."

* * *

"You what?" Cam asked, hoping he had misheard.

"Vala outed Eve as being superhuman." Daniel replied.

"That's what I thought you said. And why did you do that Vala?"

"Eve glared at Sam last night and I was asking Daniel why. He said it was probably something Sam was thinking, Eve's powers are as natural as breathing, blah blah blah-"

"The foundation's owner overheard and said the correct term for mind reading was telepathy. She asked us a few questions, how old Eve was, when her powers activated-"

"Powers plural?" Sam inquired, glancing up from her laptop.

"Just telepathy. She asked if Eve showed signs of violence, Vala went off on this tangent about how much she hates us, I mentioned the hardships of a normal person raising a telepath, and Miss Lang gave me her card. She said to have Eve make an appointment."

"I can see that not workin'."

"Landry might not be too thrilled either."

"Eve will not like the idea DanielJackson."

"I know. I'd like to think all Eve wants is another superhuman being to interact with, and through the Isis Foundation she can meet other, metahumans, maybe make some real friends."

"Or gather bloodthirsty allies and restart the crusade!" Vala countered, "If all these metahumans end up in prison and completely mad, Eve's got plenty of targets to point them at. And now she's old enough to do so."

"Well I doubt she'll walk off tonight Vala. She does have a curfew. Sort of."

"What time?"

"Well I said dinner and Vala said midnight, so hopefully she'll be home sometime in between."

But as the hours passed and Eve didn't come back, Daniel began to worry.

"I left her some money in case she got hungry. Maybe she went out to sample the local fare."

When the sun set and Eve still didn't appear, Cam started worrying too. Eve's powers were formidable, but if unleashed here they'd need a lot of help with damage control. At ten o'clock they crammed into the ladies' room to search for clues.

Eve's suitcase was still under the bed, her clothes in the chest of drawers she'd commandeered, and all her books were accounted for. Her toiletry bag was missing.

"Let's not panic yet." Sam suggested, watching Daniel pace the room.

"Eve's missing and you don't think we should panic?" Daniel asked, looking at Sam like she'd lost her mind.

"We know she wasn't abducted." Sam continued, "Someone would have heard it, the room would be a mess, and Eve probably would have killed them."

"'Probably'?" Vala repeated.

"That's a pretty strong accusation Sam," Cam began, "Would Eve really do that?"

"Eve aged too quickly for DanielJackson to truly raise her ColonelMitchell," Teal'c countered, "The memories of her Ori ancestors may be too strong to overcome."

"She may not want to." Vala added.

Sam tried to get the conversation back on track, "Her toiletry bag is missing, so if she went somewhere she went willingly. Does she have a cell phone?"

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, "No she doesn't."

It was Vala who noticed the slip of paper on the bedside table, and picked it up to read it, "Spending the night at a friend's. Back tomorrow. Eve."

"She has a friend?" Cam asked in disbelief.

"We've been here a couple days. That's long enough to make a friend isn't it?" Vala replied.

"I don't know."

"Perhaps she is making an effort to fit in." Teal'c suggested.

"We can ask her when she gets back."

* * *

_Several hours earlier_

As creating the missing records required a lack of prying eyes and Kara didn't want to return to the Kent's, Eve took her back to the motel. Her sense of timing proved beneficial; SG-1's motel rooms were empty when the girls got there, and a note from Samantha was on the bedside table. They were in town all day, and wouldn't be back until evening. They'd left a twenty in the bedside table drawer if she got hungry before they returned.

"Remarkable show of trust in me Samantha." Eve murmured under her breath.

"Who?"

"A friend of my, father."

Kara nodded, and with Eve's assistance they fleshed out false medical records. It was kind of fun actually, choosing illnesses and missed days of school, but eventually it became repetitive. Eve thought the same, because she said, "Flu shot from the sixth grade on. Haven't had a cold in a while."

"Sure. Can we hurry this up? I'm getting hungry."

"Certainly. Cold, stomach virus, headache, done. Your dental records are flawless by the way."

"Thanks. What's going to happen to them?"

"The Archive will see them filed with the correct offices without being seen. Hopefully it's enough to throw people off."

Eve glanced at Kara, noticing her half-hearted smile.

"What's wrong?"

"I guess I should go back now."

"Don't want to?"

"Not really."

"Is anyone home right now?"

"I don't know."

"I'm not ready to part ways either . . ." she wasn't, but she wasn't ready to call what they had friendship either. "May I walk you home? Or should we eat first?"

Kara grinned at her.

* * *

"And I was looking for my cuff bracelet yesterday, and Lana told me off for going through Clark's things. I asked her a few questions, showed her these pictures, and said Lex gave them to me."

"Dare I ask how she responded?"

Kara took a minute to sip her soda before answering, "She said the same thing about Lex that you did, that he would use me and then discard me. I was pretty mad by then, so I asked her to prove Lex was lying. She just stared at me with pity in her eyes."

Eve watched calmly while Kara ranted, "Why would she do that? She had the answers I needed, she could at least start earning my trust back, but she didn't!"

"Fear and stupidity are linked. Lana is afraid that if she tells you the truth, you'll tell Lex. In keeping your secret she drives you closer to Lex, justifying her decision not to tell you in the first place. Refill?"

"Please," Kara replied, holding her cup out. Eve filled the plastic cup with a green soda the Tau'ri called Mello Yello. She poured herself some and grabbed another slice of pizza.

"Do you still have the file Lex gave you?"

"I left it in my room."

"Bring it down and we'll look through it."

The blonde retrieved the file, spreading pictures all over the table.

"Let's not get pizza on this. Assuming there's any left."

Kara glanced at the box, "Couple slices left."

Eve looked up in confusion, "How can _that_ be? We ate like we were starving!"

Kara shrugged. Eve shook her head and glanced at the images, recognizing a few from some of Daniel's papers.

"Lex said some of them were burned into the fields and the Kents' barn. This one was a tattoo on Lana's back. For some reason she doesn't have it anymore."

Aoife's reaction was the strongest yet, fragments of curses, profanities and pure rage stampeding into Eve's mind. It registered as a minor headache, and one that her powers swiftly took care of.

"The only place some of these symbols are found are the Kawatche cave system. Which one was on your bracelet?"

"None of these, but this one is the closest match," Kara pointed to a figure eight enclosed in a pentagon.

"Okay. First thing tomorrow I think we should check out the caves." Eve glanced out the window and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"It'll be dark soon. My father will panic if he gets back to the motel and finds it empty."

"Do you have a cell phone?"

"No."

"We've got a phone here. Why don't you call him?"

_Because I don't want to._ Eve thought. She replied, "I doubt he'll listen." Rising from the kitchen chair, she prepared to return to the motel. It would be easier to climb in through the window than get a ride, and a ride meant a lecture. On the other hand, she'd aged past her rebellious stage without any significant rebellion.

Kara looked ready to cry again too, her pleading stare more like a child's than a young adult's.

"Please don't go."

"Kara-"

"Clark doesn't understand and Lex is busy a lot. You understand and you made time for me. Please don't leave me here with them."

Eve would forever swear her choice was influenced by Mama's memories of motherhood.

"If I stay, I'll need a couple things first."

Kara gave her a watery smile.

**Welcome to the crossover.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Genealogy is a difficult subject to navigate. And by that I mean it's out to kill me.**

"Did we really need to climb out the window?"

"No."

"Then why did we climb out the window?"

"Because I've never done it."

Kara rolled her eyes and turned away, "I don't think Clark will be friendly. He cornered me when I got home and asked all these questions. Who was that girl, where'd she come from, what did you talk about. I told him it was none of his business."

"Bet he loved that."

Kara smiled, though it was dim, "He said it wasn't safe to be wandering around but I couldn't stand it at the farm anymore. I don't wanna live with people who claim they know me but won't tell me who I really am."

"Did he order you not to hang out with me?"

"He started to, then Lana came home and I snuck out the back door."

"Unfriendly reception. Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

Kara sighed and squared her shoulders, assuming the demeanor of a soldier going into battle. Eve suggested sleeping in the barn, becoming concerned when Kara didn't dismiss the idea.

"Clark? We're back!"

Eve heard the creaking of springs, likely from a couch or chair, and the dark haired Kent appeared in the kitchen.

"Where were you Kara? Your note said you were out but it didn't say where."

"I was with a friend of mine. Eve this is Clark, my cousin."

"I remember him Kara."

Clark didn't look happy to see her either.

"And this is his girlfriend Lana."

"Nice to meet you."

Eve chose to nod instead of answer, as she did not think it was nice to meet Lana, and saying ill met instead would be problematic.

"Eve's staying the night."

Clark's eyes widened, "She is?"

Kara nodded, "It's easier if she sleeps here than if we met at the park in the morning and _then_ went to the caves."

Not how Eve would have done it, but the reaction was better than she'd hoped. Clark's eyes widened further and Lana looked a little pale.

"She's going with you?"

"Yeah."

The myriad of expressions were almost as good as the thoughts that caused them. She watched the two cycle through various excuses for why one or both of them couldn't go to the caves, only to fall short. Given their reaction, it was likely the caves held answers; answers that Clark and Lana seemed desperate to keep from them. Eve felt a perverse sense of glee when the pair arrived at the same conclusion: there was nothing they could do.

"Kara I don't think-"

"Do you want one of us to come with you?"

"Why? So you can lie to me some more?"

Eve cleared her throat and Kara tried to calm down. Her fingers curled around Eve's, and the blonde drew comfort from the contact. Eve seemed oblivious to this while Clark did a double take at their intertwined fingers.

Lana flinched briefly at Kara's cutting words but Eve could still sense her conviction. The other brunette believed she was right in lying to Kara. The other thing Eve could sense was that the pair had been thoroughly blindsided. Kara had brought home someone who was a veritable stranger to everyone, but their arrival time put Clark and Lana in a bind.

It was dark out. Eve was a young woman. Sending a young woman into the dark, alone, tended to rub humans the wrong way. Everything that could happen to her tumbled through Lana's mind and likely Clark's as well. Despite their fear for Kara and possible dislike of Eve, the pair could not in good conscience send her away.

"We might have a sleeping bag somewhere." Lana said, "You'll be in the guest room right?"

Eve looked at Kara, who nodded sharply and yanked the file off the counter. The blonde led Eve up the stairs, the brunette's eyes narrowed in amusement. She would treasure Clark's bewildered expression for days to come.

"The bathroom's right there, Clark and Lana usually sleep in the master bedroom, and this is the room they were nice enough to give me."

It wasn't much to look at either, smaller than her room at the SGC. It also belonged to Clark at some point.

"Bed's kinda small."

"Lana's looking for the sleeping bag."

"Or we could spoon."

Kara's look of confusion was cute, and perfectly timed with Aoife's snort of amusement and the sound of Clark choking.

"What does that mean?"

Oh this was _too_ perfect, "It's when two people lie right next to each other, one person's front against the other's back."

The significance of this flew right over Kara's head, "Why would they do that?"

"Lack of space, a need for comfort or human contact, a sense of romantic love, or cuddling after intercourse."

The sound of breaking glass sounded from downstairs. Eve reveled in Clark's discomfort.

Kara still looked confused, and Eve's practical side kicked in. Eve was _not_ going to give Kara the talk, no matter how funny Clark's reaction would be.

"Intercourse?"

_Then again . . ._ "Sex."

"Oh." Kara replied, eyes widening as something else broke downstairs.

"Clark's rather clumsy isn't he?"

"Yeah. Weird." Kara shook her head before she continued, "Can we skip straight to the cuddling part?"

"Of course."

* * *

Lana walked into the room carrying the sleeping bag. She was greeted by the sight of Eve and Kara staring at the bed as though trying to solve a complex math problem.

"It won't work."

"Sure it will! Okay it'll be awkward at first but after a few minutes-"

"One of us gets up and the other sprawls across the free space. My bed at my father's is larger than this."

"I've got the sleeping bag." Lana interrupted. Kara pointedly ignored her while Eve shot her a dirty look.

"Um, good night."

Eve nodded curtly.

Kara had stolen the sleeping bag while Eve's back was turned and the blonde shot her a cheeky grin. Eve smirked at her, rolled her eyes and stretched out on the bed. She didn't expect to get much sleep.

Barely an hour later Aoife prodded Eve awake. A sense of purpose, importance, and impending doom colored the witch's thoughts. Eve focused on the hushed conversation down the hall.

"-making an effort at least."

"Which is a good thing," Lana replied, "She's not Lex, she's from out of town, she doesn't know anyone. Eve has no reason to lie to Kara because she doesn't know Kara."

"What if Eve finds something in the caves?"

"We can't just stop them from going Clark. Eve noticed our expressions when Kara mentioned the caves, and if _she_ believes we're lying to Kara . . ."

"Then she'll check out the caves no matter what. I could get Kara to help with some of the farm chores in the morning, but I don't know about Eve."

"I could keep her distracted for a little while, maybe show her around Smallville. Besides, they can't get into the Fortress without you right?"

Eve perked up. What fortress?

"What if Eve hurts her?"

Lana's silence prompted elaboration, "When Kara met Eve in the park that day, I tried to pull her off the bench. Eve grabbed my wrist."

"So?"

"Her touch burned my skin."

"She burned you?" Lana asked in concern, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now."

"So Kara's new friend is meteor infected?"

"I think so."

"Last thing we need is a meteor infected learning your secret, unless I can get her to Isis and convince her not to tell anyone."

Aoife stirred, preparing to hijack Lana's mind and steer the conversation in another direction.

_Wait._

"What should we do?"

"We can't just out her as infected. The damage she did to your wrist is long gone, and after today Kara won't believe anything we tell her."

Eve shifted, not much, just enough to get comfortable. As expected, the voices paused. Instead of stopping, they just moved further down the hall.

"Maybe we can get more information in the morning."

Eve was already planning responses that would give little away, and with Aoife standing guard she fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

As Kara had said, the rooster crowed sometime before dawn. Eve was already awake, listening for the sounds of other moving around.

The blonde raised her head, her hair a mess, and mumbled unintelligibly.

"How are you even up?"

"Old habits."

Kara burrowed into the sleeping bag and groaned audibly when the door opened. Clark stepped in and greeted them, asking Kara if she would mind helping him for a couple of hours.

"Go'way Clark!" she snapped, yanking the pillow into the sleeping bag.

"It won't take long."

Eve snorted, drawing the pair's attention.

"Depending on the number of animals and the state of your equipment it could be noon before you're finished Clark, even with Kara's help."

A muffled "what she said" echoed from the sleeping bag.

"I'm gonna fix breakfast, then I'll show you how to feed the horses. You like the horses right?"

"Clark, neither of us cares about the horses right now. Kara is clearly half asleep, we're hungry, and you didn't knock before coming in. What if we were naked?"

Clark's face turned bright red, "Uh, well, I-"

Eve brushed him off, "Go away Clark."

The pillow erupted from the sleeping bag as soon as the sound of footsteps faded. Kara's cheeks were flushed with anger.

"Has he asked for your help before?"

She shook her head, "He's worried I'll get hurt. Sometimes he lets me do little things like feed the animals, but he doesn't normally ask . . . He's trying to stop us from seeing the caves."

"So he is."

"Why else would he ask me for help today? I have a friend over and we told them our plans last night."

"Your past must be more dangerous than we thought."

Kara yawned widely and gestured for Eve to continue.

"Digging into your past makes Clark nervous-"

"Does he expect me to accept his lies with nothing but a pat on the head?"

"-Meaning he either doesn't want you get your memories back, or he doesn't want me to help." Eve continued, ignoring the interruption.

Kara blinked slowly, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." Then she met Eve's eyes, "Why would be naked?"

"You're adorable."

"No really, why would we be naked?" Kara asked, unzipping the sleeping bag and rising to her knees.

Eve's eyes flicked over Kara, her wrinkled pajamas, her tousled hair, her sleepy expression, and found it oddly appealing.

"People who have sex are usually in some stage of undress."

Kara tilted her head, "And then they cuddle?"

"Yes."

* * *

When the pair came downstairs a few minutes later, Eve was disappointed to see nothing broken. Instead Clark was frying eggs and Lana was setting the table.

"Morning."

"Yes it is." Eve replied, ignoring the snort from behind her.

"We didn't get to talk much last night." Lana began, taking a sip of coffee before she continued, "What brings you to Smallville Eve?"

"Genealogy."

"That sounds interesting. Do you have family here?"

"I do."

"Have you contacted them yet?"

Eve raised an eyebrow, "No."

"Anyone we know?" Clark inquired.

"Maybe."

"Are you gonna tell us?"

"Why?"

Clark didn't react, much, "Just asking."

Eve's grin widened.

"Where are you from?"

"Many miles and a world away."

"Where'd you go to school?"

"I didn't."

"Homeschooled?" Kara inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Indeed."

"Were you ever in Smallville before?" Lana inquired. Eve had a forkful of egg in her mouth, and took her time wording an answer.

"No."

"Were either of your parents?"

"Is that any of your business?"

Kara pushed her plate away and slid the chair back.

"I'm just asking. If you have living relatives here then you might have read about the meteor showers."

"I've read about them." Her eyes narrowed, "Are you accusing me of something?"

Lana's reaction was better than Eve had hoped. The other brunette's mind blared her thoughts with the volume of an air raid siren. Thoughts as a rule were rarely complete sentences, but a combination of emotions, memories, sensations, images, and sounds. From the impression she wrung something meaningful.

First, few things could hurt Clark, and the most common threats were green meteor rock and the meteor infected. Second, the overwhelming majority of said infected lost control and went on rampages. Third, Eve seemed very close to uncovering Clark's secret. Such knowledge and no loyalty to Clark or his close friends made her a liability if not a threat, one to be neutralized as quickly as possible.

Lana's attempts to placate Eve fell painfully flat. Eyes alight with cold fire, Eve refused to respond to either of her hosts. Kara came back downstairs and handed Eve her bag.

"Can't you wait an hour? I really do need Kara's help." Clark protested.

Eve's glare deepened, and her response actually frightened Clark, "**Liar!**"

Kara held the door open and led her off the property.

Clark shivered. Something about Eve's voice wasn't right, as if another person was speaking through her.

"That's not good." he muttered.

"No kidding. Did you see Kara's face before they left?"

Clark nodded, asking, "Now what?"

"Well we can't go after either of them right now. Let's give them some time to cool down, then maybe we can talk to them. It's not like Kara will go running to Lex when Eve is right there with her."

* * *

Eve growled under her breath all the way into town.

"I'm sorry. If I'd known they'd be like that I wouldn't have introduced you."

Eve had given up on telling herself she wasn't angry, because she was. She had had more than enough of the instant judgment, judgment from strangers who had never met her before. As Kara's arm slid around her shoulders, Eve considered taking up her mother's mantle and restoring her empire to its previous glory. The endeavor could take decades, but Ascension-granted immortality meant she had all the time she'd ever need. But the tenseness in her shoulders faded with Kara's continued affection. She squeezed Eve's hand and smiled.

Their first stop was the Talon for more food, as neither had finished breakfast. Their second was the department store for flashlights. Eve wolfed down a couple muffins before reaching the caves.

As expected from prior research, the walls were covered with symbols and drawings, many significant to the Kawatche people . . . and possibly Clark and Kara.

"Naman and Sageeth, close as brothers and doomed to be enemies." Eve explained to a confused yet interested Kara. The pair stood side by side, Eve holding the file folder and Kara the flashlight.

"Am I Kawatche then?"

"It's possible but unlikely. I don't think they make thick metal cuff bracelets either."

Kara kicked a rock and crossed her arms, pouting angrily. Eve pointed out a trio of symbols, "This one I've seen, the other two seem familiar."

"Lana's tattoo?"

"It means transference. It was a symbol used in witchcraft by the French countess Thoreaux. These other two were likely claimed by her comrades, Madelyn and Brianna."

"Witchcraft?" Kara snorted in disbelief.

"It's a big universe."

An echoed sound caught their attention. Two flashlight beams pierced an opening near the back of the cave.

"That's curious."

"If you say so."

Eve led Kara into the opening, walking around a piece of carved stone covered in the same markings.

"And curiouser."

"Louis Carol?"

"Very good."

"This isn't Kawatche either, is it?"

"No. The symbols are too precise to be done by an amateur. And this indentation here," she indicated the depression in the center, "Had something in it."

Kara traced the most familiar symbol, the figure eight in the pentagon, and sighed.

"Eve, this isn't helping. I still can't remember anything."

Eve stood fluidly, brushing dirt from her jeans, "Sorry."

"Maybe it wasn't a total loss? Lex was right about the symbols wasn't he?"

Eve shot her a dark look and muttered something derogatory, and Kara changed the subject, "So, witchcraft?"

"It's a big universe." Eve repeated. The she noticed the slot. Like the carved stone, the edges were too smooth, too exact. Lana had mentioned something about a fortress. Was this piece of stone a door? Was this slot a keyhole?

Eve's eyes narrowed, "Lana mentioned something about a fortress."

"Fortress?"

"'They can't get into the fortress without your help.' She said it to Clark last night after we went to bed. I think this piece is a door, and this slot is a keyhole."

"Weird looking shape for a keyhole."

"Probably not the kind of key we're familiar with." Eve looked at Kara, "You know we have to go back right?"

"Do we have to?" she whined.

"If this is a keyhole, then the key is somewhere on the Kent property."

"What if Clark's got it with him?"

"I kinda doubt he'd carry something that important around with him_." Especially if it draws unwanted attention._ "Have you searched the house before?"

"And some of the barn. Then Lana came in."

Lana's bias in Clark's favor was quickly becoming a nuisance. What Clark saw in her was beyond Eve.

"Well Kara, we can go turn Clark's house upside down, or you can help me with genealogy."

"Genealogy."

* * *

Most of the information Eve was already familiar with, such as Dexter McCallum being imprisoned for the murder of his wife Louise. The real murderer was Lachlan Luthor, whose eventual death was arranged by his son Lionel, and Lionel's son was a bald control freak. It seemed the sons of Luthor had become proud and quick to wrath.

Aoife stirred, her thoughts a montage of poison and fire and agony.

Eve felt the beginnings of a nervous tic. It seemed stupidity ran in family.

Aoife was just annoyed that plain and simple _cousin_ didn't work anymore; the degrees and removals made her head hurt. Eve agreed.

"Next stop: the cemetery."

"Can I come too?"

"Whatever keeps me away from my father and you from your idiot cousin and compulsive liar of a girlfriend."

Though the walk to the cemetery took them past the Kent farmhouse, no one was around to bother them. Eve found the headstones of the relatives buried here, including the Langs. Kara had wandered off, pausing at a headstone with the name Kent on it. Upon pointing this out to Eve, she thought aloud, "A relative?"

"Possibly."

"You just can't say yes or no can you?"

Eve grinned at her.

"So how is Lana related to you? If it's something more complicated than cousin I'll need an explanation."

"Second cousin once removed. In simple terms, second cousins share a set of great-grandparents, but not grandparents. A cousin removed belongs to a different generation."

"I'm just gonna nod and pretend I understood that."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Speaking of sleep . . ." Kara turned to face Eve before she continued, "I don't trust Clark or Lana, and I don't think I can stay in that house anymore. I hope you don't mind Eve, but I was wondering if I could stay with you."

Eve raised an eyebrow, "Do you mind sleeping in a motel?"

"No."

"Do you mind sharing that motel room with three other women-"

"No."

"Bearing in mind there are two beds in this room and you would be sharing one with me?"

Kara considered it for a minute, "Is it a large bed?"

"Yes."

"Would we have to spoon?"

"Only if we chose."

"No. I don't mind."

"Let's grab your stuff first."

* * *

Kara's introduction to Eve's father and his friends went more smoothly than Eve's meeting with Clark.

"'Lo Eve! Who's this?"

"Vala this is Kara. Kara, this is my grandmother."

"Hi."

"Where are the others?"

"Around. Cam mentioned something about pizza and I may have threatened him if I had to eat it again." Then Vala noticed the bag in Kara's hand.

Eve wasn't begging for the challenge per se, and Vala was thrilled she was making friends, but Daniel might not appreciate said friend staying overnight.

"You staying the night then?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay."

Kara took the empty half of the dresser Eve had claimed, kicking her empty duffle bag under the bed and cooing over the box art of _New Prophecy_.

"He won't like this at all, you know that right?" Vala murmured.

"I am an adult Vala. I have no need of my sire any longer."

"What about her?"

"She needs me right now. When she no longer has need of me I'll start my own path."

Vala said nothing, only shrugged and went to warn the others. The presence of Eve's new friend was a relief for them all, though Daniel wished she hadn't brought the friend here.

"It'll make it harder to talk."

"We can talk in your room Daniel." Sam replied, "At least she's making an effort right?"

"It _is_ partly our fault she never made friends her own age." Vala reminded them.

"I'm glad she's trying at least, but my question is does she know how friendship works?" Cam inquired, "Yes it is our fault she doesn't have peers, but how do we know she's not going to hurt this girl?"

"Perhaps it is because this Kara is a young woman." Teal'c suggested. Daniel understood immediately, "They're the same age. Eve's never had a friend her own age."

The snort of derision was audible in spite of the closed door.

"What about Miss Lang's card?" Vala asked.

"Kara's not a metahuman, not that I've seen, and giving Eve a business card for metahuman counselling might drive her first friend away." Daniel replied.

"Not to mention she'd get mad." Cam added. "And probably destructive."

Eve rolled her eyes at the team and turned her attention to Kara. The blonde stretched out on the bed and stared at the ceiling contemplatively. Twice she looked at Eve and opened her mouth, only to close it and look away.

"Spit it out." Eve drew out the words. Kara chewed on her lip a minute before speaking, "Could I get my memories back with magic?"

Eve cocked her head, "Maybe, maybe not. I wouldn't know."

"You said you had witch ancestors."

"Just because my ancestors were witches doesn't mean I'm a witch myself."

Kara nodded, expression falling, "I thought maybe magic would help."

Aoife stirred once more, managing to convey that the price to reverse amnesia was the memories made during amnesia. Kara would not remember the aid Eve had provided, and might react in violence against her.

Eve's fingers gripped her knees so hard her knuckles turned white. She didn't want to lose Kara, not this soon, and the knowledge that the blonde could forget her proved to be more than she could handle. She needed an outlet, and a glance toward the one on the wall provided one.

The lights flickered and went out. Cam and Teal'c stiffened, Sam looked up in confusion and Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and muttered, "Oh no."

The ominous rumbling from beneath their feet caught their attention. A pale-faced Vala said, "Uh oh" before the building started shaking.

* * *

While SG-1 scrambled for flashlights and checked on other motel guests, Kara and Eve watched the moon rise. The brunette pointed out what stars could be seen despite their current location and the moon's brightness. When they retired, Kara pressed herself into Eve's back and sighed contentedly.

"Really Kara?"

"Shut up. You're warm."

"Goodnight Kara."

_I have you now, for however long it will last._ She thought to herself, absently caressing a strand of blonde hair. Kara said nothing, instead pressing closer and murmuring unintelligibly.

* * *

Eve's meditation woke Kara the next morning, but she was too out of it to make out the words. The repetition sent her back to sleep, snuggling closer to the warmth she felt. The brunette paused, rolled her eyes, and continued.

An hour later Kara began stirring and muttering about food.

"Good morning to you too."

"Mornig," she yawned, nuzzling Eve's shoulder before raising her head.

"Hungry?"

"Uh-huh."

"I've got something."

* * *

"I just don't want to drive two hours to Metropolis if we can get – Daniel, Eve has a sandwich."

"I can see that Cam."

"Why?"

"Because she thought ahead?"

"No I mean why does she have food and we don't?"

Eve handed Kara a bowl of raspberries and leveled a glare at them.

"I've got a few MREs," Sam's raised voice reached them from across the hall, "Good thing Daniel packed them."

"I didn't pack any MREs!" the archeologist protested, shooting Eve an irritated look and stalking out of the room.

"MRE?"

"Meal ready to eat. The only thing fit for consumption by the military."

"They're not that bad." Vala commented, her mouth full.

"_Everything_ tastes like chicken."

Vala glanced down at the remains of her meal, shrugged, and continued to eat.

* * *

The highlight of the day was the multilingual Scrabble game. The unspoken rule was that no offworld languages were allowed, but that didn't stop Eve from slipping an Alteran word here and there anyway. Daniel's attempts to counter with Goa'uld were not impressive, and Eve smugly tallied the points while Daniel glanced at the board. Not an English word to be found. When had Eve had time to learn Gaelic and French?

After slaughtering the rest of them at chess the power came back on.

"Wanna go to the park?"

Kara nodded.

"Actually come back tonight, okay?" Daniel asked. "There's stuff we have to talk about!"

Eve didn't answer.

"She won't be back tonight will she?" Sam asked.

"I doubt it."

* * *

"Last time he went to the Fortress Jor-El trapped him in ice for a month! Why would he chance the Big Chill a second time?" Chloe snapped, taking in the damaged barn.

Lana could hear the capital letters in "big chill" and shivered.

"Kara made a new friend recently, a young woman named Eve. She's from out of town."

"Why do I get the feeling this Eve character is bad news?"

Lana grimaced, "She's trying to help Kara get her memories back. They went to the caves yesterday and haven't been back since."

Chloe wasn't too worried yet. The only way to find the alter was by knowing where it was already, and without the key they'd hit a dead end.

"Clark was hoping that Jor-El would give her back her memories and her powers."

"Before Eve uncovers her secret. Should we be worried?"

"Eve noticed the way Clark and I reacted to Kara mentioning the caves. If she believes we're lying to Kara then she might have inferred the caves were worth checking out."

"Worst case scenario is they find the altar. They can't activate it themselves . . ." Chloe trailed off, noticing a book lying at the top of the staircase.

"Clark wanted to get to the Fortress fast but he needed something from the loft first."

Chloe rushed up the stairs and opened the book. The Key was inside.

"I don't think he got what he came here for. This Key opens the portal to the Fortress."

"How did you know that?"

"I kinda followed him there a couple years ago."

"If the key's still here-" Lana began.

"Then he never made it to the Fortress so something must have stopped him."

They noticed a dart on the barn floor, a luminous green fluid inside. A Kryptonite Taser. Someone had kidnapped Clark.

* * *

Chloe wished they had more to go on. Without Eve's last name they couldn't search for her motel room, and that's if she was staying in the motel in town.

Despite Lana's fears that they could be anywhere, Kara and Eve proved somewhat easy to track down. They were seated on a park bench, the brunette bent over a sleek tablet computer, the blonde leaning into her side. It was Eve who spotted them first, blue fire dancing in her eyes. Kara's eyes followed and widened, "What do you want?"

"Hi Kara. Excuse me miss, could we borrow our friend for a minute?" Chloe asked in what she hoped was a friendly manner.

Though Eve's voice was light, her reply was cutting, "'Your friend' you say? Funny she's never mentioned you."

Kara stared hard at Chloe, muttered angrily when it triggered no memory, and slumped against Eve with a huff. The brunette threaded her fingers through the blonde's hair and murmured back. The motion seemed too fluid to be spur-of-the-moment, and the way Kara relaxed under the attention meant this wasn't the first time it had happened either.

Chloe's eyes narrowed. Kara couldn't have known Eve for more than a few days, but the way they interacted suggested otherwise. Kara trusted Eve and Eve protected Kara in return. Separating them could be a problem, given Kara's mistrust and Eve's possible bias in Kara's favor.

"Kara you have you come with us right now." Lana said, forgoing politeness. Kara's expression hardened.

"We'll explain everything later, I _promise_ we will, but you have to trust us."

"I don't even know you!" Kara snapped, glaring at Chloe. The shorter blonde was taken aback. She had expected anger, even resentment, but nothing so bad that Eve's arm was all that kept Kara from attacking them.

Eve cackled inside; this too was priceless, and worth _any_ lecture Daniel could come up with later.

"I'm Chloe Sullivan. I know you don't remember me, but we have met before." Then she turned to Eve, "But I know we haven't met. So, what's your name?"

"Eve."

"Nice to meet you." Chloe replied, extending her hand and missing Lana's wild "no" gesture.

"Would that I could say the same," Eve began, squeezing Chloe's hand a little too tightly, "Now what did you want with _my_ friend?"

Chloe went with the truth, at least in part, "We're going to get Kara's memories back."

Anger sparked to life in Kara's eyes, "Why didn't you get them back before?"

"Because Lana is afraid." Eve replied.

"Well I can't speak for her but, I didn't know how until today."

Eve cocked her head. Chloe spoke the truth.

"So why don't you come with us, and we'll get that taken care of, alright?"

Kara laced her fingers with Eve's prompting a single confused glance from the brunette.

"Not without Eve."

Lana stepped forward, "Kara-"

Kara cut her off, "Eve has done more to help me in three days than you have in a three weeks. She comes with me or neither of us go anywhere."

Chloe looked helplessly at Lana, who returned the sentiment. Clark was in trouble and only a repowered Kara could save him. Chloe steeled herself. Clark first, Eve later.

"Okay."

"What?" Lana asked.

"We don't have a choice Lana."

Lana privately thought this was a bad idea, especially when a glance at Eve revealed the self-satisfied smirk of a person who has gotten exactly what they wanted.

* * *

Eve waltzed into the Fortress without a jacket. She neither had nor needed one, as Chloe noticed when she glanced at the brunette's tracks. They had melted and refrozen, and steam rose from where she stood.

"You were right." Kara said, pulling her coat tighter around her, "It was a doorway."

Eve said nothing, aware of the steady hum of power around her. This place was dangerous.

Chloe's first attempt fell on deaf A.I. ears. It seemed this Jor-El person had no interest in helping them. So Chloe changed tactics, "Out of all the planets across the universe you decided to send your only son to this one, to Earth! You trusted us to protect him! Now please, Jor-El, I need you to trust me. I love your son! He's in danger and he needs our help!"

That got a response, in the form of wind from nowhere, the lights dimming, and a crystal console glowing red.

A frightened Kara shouted, "What's happening?"

Chloe didn't answer, appearing pleased with the results but unsure if her words had the effect she'd wanted. Eve sensed power and frowned, the energy she had felt only once before crackling to life and tingling over her skin.

The ground was shaking beneath her feet, and Kara turned to Eve. Her face was white, eyes wide with fear, and something in Eve snapped at the sight of it.

"Eve! Help me!"

She started forward but was too late. Kara rose off the ground on a column of white light, memories and powers restored. Kara's glow was brighter than Clark's, as if her powers were greater.

Chloe's mind was a chorus of relief and happiness. Kara's amnesia had been hard on Clark and Lana, and now that she had her memories back she could save him. Chloe dashed forward to help Kara to her feet.

Somehow Eve kept from falling to her knees in despair, but it still took Aoife too much effort to break her concentration and remind her of the danger to them both.

Kara turned to the shorter blonde, asking, "Chloe, why are we in the Fortress?"

"We have to save Clark," she began, looking around for the brunette. The cavern was empty. Eve had vanished.

* * *

Eve tore down the road, allowing Aoife to guide her path. Tears blurred her vision and she hated herself for being weak, but she didn't know why she was crying. Why was she so upset about this? She hadn't known Kara long enough to form a strong bond. She had known from day one that getting Kara's memories back was the endgame, had actively worked toward this goal, but now her Kara was gone. In her place was a total stranger, one whose loyalty to Clark was as unshakable as the rest of his inner circle. Kara's powers gave her an advantage, one Eve was unwilling to test unless she somehow leveled the playing field.

The air reeked of malice and death, and the memory came without her asking. This was the site of Isobel's rebirth. At least, the first time.

Though time was of the essence, Eve had grown accustomed to the pendant's weight and was hesitant to remove it. Aoife convinced her otherwise. With great reluctance, Eve laid the pendant on the ground, a symbol flashing then fading. Twice more she did as Aoife instructed, a symbol flashing each time. The witch absorbed the power with a sense of distaste, apparently averse to some aspect of it that Eve couldn't detect.

When there was no more power to imbibe, the pendant took on an eerie shine, light playing on the facets of the sapphire. Eve could sense the witch gathering thoughts, reorganizing memories, rewiring her mind to function properly.

_Well . . . that was thoroughly unpleasant._

_My condolences._

_Thank you. I assume that, given your ownership of my pendant, that my mother's last wish was carried out? That after however long I have a daughter?_

Part of Eve raged at the thought of someone else calling her daughter. Aoife corrected herself, _Granddaughter then?_

Rage cooling, Eve replied, _Yes._

_Wonderful. Who are you?_

_Eve. _And the images poured across the link between them, memories of her ancestors, her kin. Aoife understood, _The last of your kind, the closest to a pure Ori that can ever be. The youngest of my bloodline. My mother would have loved you, and cousin Máire too. The resemblance between you is uncanny._ _I think between the three of us my father would have jumped off the nearest cliff._

_I think he would have been pushed._

This pleased Aoife somewhat, though she did reply, _You have the ability to create mayhem and sow chaos wherever you roam. Yet, you aren't quite mad enough to carry it out._

Eve didn't respond to that. Then Aoife made a slashing motion with her hand, a look of manic glee on her face. Nothing happened. The color drained from the Scot's face, and Eve cocked her head in curiosity. In seconds they both knew Eve would never be a witch. Aoife blamed the man she was married off to and every subsequent generation until Eve for the lack of magical skill. From there Aoife withdrew to complain and take various deities to task over Eve's lack of magical prowess, which the Orici would normally be content to leave her to, but she didn't know how close Kara might be.

_AOIFE!_

The witch's mind stilled.

_Aoife my life is in danger. How do I protect myself?_

Aoife looked up, her brow furrowed, "You shouldn't have too."

"Have you _seen_ my memories?"

Aoife nodded, "Yes I have. But the ritual should protect you from everything."

"Ritual?"

Even Aoife recognized the cold anger so reminiscent of Adria.

"Explain."

"Before my father married me off, my dream was to have a daughter of my own. A little girl I could teach the craft to, to watch her grow up and ensnare a man and have children,"

Apparently taking unwilling spouses was genetic. _Wonderful._

"And she would teach them the craft. But that dream went up in flames when my father married me off to an Englishman. I was not happy and the rest of the Clan was furious. I castrated my husband on my wedding night, carried his sprog to term, and birthed a son. My father then decided to deny me my birthright and make his grandson his heir."

Eve already knew this would end badly.

"I wanted a daughter more than anything, and no English authority would consent to dissolve the marriage. So one night when the full moon was directly overhead, I stuck the brat in the middle of a circle and bound a ritual to him."

She remembered seeing that part.

"It translates as End of Line, and its purpose is to keep the subject alive until certain criteria are met. In this case my son having a child of his own. The ritual would abandon the father and bind to the child at birth. If it was a son the cycle would repeat itself. If it was a daughter, it would ensure she was happy and healthy and powerful, for as long as she wished. You could stand against an army and not have a scratch on you, could stand against a hurricane and emerge unscathed, wander through plague-infested lands and it would never touch you."

In other words, a multipurpose magical shield that ensured immortality. Considering her hybrid immunity, mental powers and the ability to Ascend, the ritual was redundant. Yet it could protect her from things she couldn't see or defend against, like the Prior disruptor.

"You don't seem pleased."

"What if the threat originated from beyond this world?"

Aoife blanched and squeaked, "Shit!"

**Two chapters in one day and I fought with them both. Here's hoping chapter 3 comes easier.**


End file.
